


braver with you

by MakerOfAnarchy



Series: Klaine Bingo Fills [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-10 15:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2030259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakerOfAnarchy/pseuds/MakerOfAnarchy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>prompt: military</p>
            </blockquote>





	braver with you

Lima, Ohio is so small a place Blaine hesitates to even call it a town. But his parents insist it is not only a town but a place full of good morals and good people --  _exactly what he needs after his past year._

At least: that's what his parents say.

\--

McKinley High is just the same and possibly worse than East Westerville High.

This doesn't come as a surprise to Blaine when it comes in the form of teachers that blatantly ignore the bad things happening right under their noses and kids that don't do anything. The locker check that bruises his shoulder shocks but doesn't surprise him, but the words yelled after ("Fucking faggot.") do.

At EWH they were too high class and ritzy to ever say such disgraceful words aloud, let alone to his face, but he’d always felt it in their heated glares.

However, at McKinley he has friends. Tina, who massages his shoulder for him after a locker check and Ryder, who wipes his face for him after a slushy for no reason other than Blaine would do the same.

Lima, Ohio is no better than Westerville, and still he feels a little bit safer here.

\--

When his parents insist he pick up a job at the local mechanic shop, he's about ready to burst. They have suggestion after suggestion on what's supposed to help him after such a terrible incident except they're hesitant to actually talk about it with him. His parents have no clue how to help him -- they didn’t  _ask_  for a gay son whos bravery dwindles quickly in the face of danger, they don’t know  _how_  to help the son they got. But they try, no matter how misguided those attempts might be.They just know they think Burt Hummel will be good for him.

_Burt_ Hummel wasn't good for him, but the man he brought along to dinner certainly was.

\--

The doorbell rings and Blaine doesn't bother moving from his spot at the table. His parents will force him up to greet their guests soon enough, and for now he revels in the almost silence. From here he can hear the gentle greetings and the polite smiles in their voices.

"Blaine, get in here and meet Burt Hummel, your new employer, and his son," his mom calls softly, and Blaine rises to his feet immediately.

Burt Hummel is balding, older than middle age but not senile, and his grip is strong, like he's testing Blaine. Blaine figures he passes when Burt nods at him with a grin and immediately introduces him to the man next to him.

"This is my son, Kurt."

_Kurt Hummel_ is strong and sturdy in the way he stands, and Blaine damn near swoons when he looks him in the eye and says sincerely that it's nice to meet him as they shake hands. Everything about him puts Blaine in a mental headlock, limiting his ability to think and speak beyond, "It's nice to meet you too." And  _god you look like the answer to my prayers._

Kurt Hummel radiates excellence and determination, if not by the way he stands and immediately offers to help Blaine's mom with the dinner than by the way his eyes don't stray from Blaine unless they have to.

Kurt is very handsome, so maybe that’s why Blaine himself can’t look away. There’s obviously been thought put into what he’s wearing, despite it being relatively simple. But it’s colorful and daring -- his black button up has splashes of pink and gold around the arms and the buttons and it fits him like a glove, stretching over arm muscles that indicate rigorous daily workouts. Blaine can feel Kurt eyeing him from across the table just like Blaine is, and he gets hot under the collar at the thought that  _maybe_  he’s checking him out the same way?

It's not obvious or noticeable to anyone but Blaine himself, and only because he’s doing the same thing, not only checking him out but trying to read the man across from him at the dinner table for anything at all he can learn about him. Kurt isn't bashful about it like Blaine is, nor does he divert his eyes first when they find themselves in unscheduled staring contests. He just tilts his head towards Blaine and smiles so fully his eyes crinkle and his shoulders raise, and Blaine blushes the entire dinner. If not because of how handsome he is then because of the playful way Kurt looks at him, like Blaine is interesting and amusing to him.

Dinner itself is full of his parents talking to Burt Hummel -- asking questions and probably divulging every part of Blaine’s life to him because it's so hard for them to handle on their own and they need someone else's opinion on it every day.

Blaine’s not really listening, sure they’ll engage him when he’s supposed to. For now he eats and he stares and Kurt stares right back and Blaine knows nothing about this man except for the fact that he’s handsome and stylish and possibly interested.

He tunes in from his odd flirtation with Kurt just as his mom sniffs and shakes her head solemnly, "I just didn't know kids could be so terrible."

Blaine rolls his eyes and watches Burt nod his head in agreement, cutting into his steak eagerly, "It really is a shame. They need to do something about the way they monitor those kids, I'll tell you. Kurt always says all he went through is one of the biggest reasons he joined the Navy and I believe him. Years of that would leave me with pent up anger too."

"Dad! I do  _not_ have pent up anger!"

"Well I can't think of any other reason why you'd join the Navy Kurt -- "

And Blaine’s head spins and spins as he tries to catch up with what's happening, his mother laughing and his father eating easily as it's so casually revealed that Kurt’s in the  _Navy,_ the fucking  _military._

"Wait what -- ? You're in the military, Kurt?" Blaine says the first thing he wasn’t obligated to do all dinner, and it’s addressed directly to Kurt, who smiles.

"Indeed. Though the 'military' is a little broad, don't you think sweetie?"

The entire sentence throws Blaine for an even deeper loop but the nickname has him  _reeling_  and Kurt Hummel just got ten times more fascinating than he already was.

\--

After dinner they "retire" to the lounge and Kurt slips out of the front door for a smoke. Burt admonishes him and Kurt ignores it, smiling at Blaine once again when he goes passed.

His parents are quick to suggest he join Kurt and for once Blaine is just as eager to follow the suggestion. He briefly wonders if they knew Kurt was in the military and expects Kurt to entice him into joining as another form of their twisted therapy.

He knows all they'll do without him is talk about ways to fix him when he leaves but Kurt’s practically glowing in the moonlight on their driveway and Blaine doesn't care about what anyone says.

"Blaine," Kurt says, and offers the lit cigarette to him like it's no big deal. Blaine laughs, shakes his head no and settles next to Kurt as nonchalant as he can. They have no patio or railing to lean on like they always do in the movies but Kurt has his back against a black SUV and Blaine takes up residence next to him.

"Are you even supposed to smoke in the military?" Blaine asks, shivering from the slight chill outside. The smoke from Kurt’s cigarette catches the breeze and lands in Blaine’s face and he coughs, turning his face away.

He hears, “Sorry,” and then he’s being nudged to the side by cold hands on his shoulder, and Kurt takes his place, smoking and tilting the cigarette away from Blaine. Blaine’s heart clenches at the caring gesture. “And probably not. I don’t know, they never actually grill you on it, only glare at you when you go in for check ups and aren’t breathing as well as you should.” Kurt laughs and knocks some ashes away, and Blaine laughs with him, hands sinking into his pockets.

"So...do you have a uniform and everything?" Blaine says awkwardly, turning his entire body towards Kurt and giving into the urge to take everything about him in. Blaine doesn't know what got in him -- why he's trying to  _flirt_ with this man who's probably ten years his senior and taken (rationally Blaine knows that Kurt doesn’t  _look_  27 and the eyes he was giving him at the table certainly does not suggest a taken status, but it’s a daunting thought nonetheless. Kurt, with his cigarettes and  _arresting_  eyes terrifies Blaine), but he can’t take the words back.

Kurt doesn’t laugh at his uncomfortable attempts at flirtation, just glances at him out of the corner of his eye, looking  _amused_  when he drops his cigarette to the ground and steps on it before turning to Blaine fully so they're facing each other. Under Kurt's intense stare Blaine doesn't feel so brave, ducking his head and biting his lip instead of staring at Kurt like he was.

"It kind of comes with the territory, no? I never wear it unless I have to but yes, I've got the gaudy camouflage and the personalized suit. Somewhere in the suitcase I live out of at least."

Blaine swallows hard at the image, trying not to let Kurt see how attracted to him he is. Kurt is still facing towards him and looking at him but Blaine is trying to avoid eye contact.

"So what's your story, Blaine?" Blaine looks up, alarmed, but flashes of heavy fists and harmful words has him looking back down, this time in dejection. He stands up straighter, angling his body away from Kurt, suddenly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.

The air gets cooler and the wind picks up as they stand there, feeling like Fall for the first time. It also makes Blaine shiver, wrapping his arms around himself as he looks down.

"It got colder," Kurt says and stands up straight, mimicking Blaine's pose. "You don't have to tell me anything, not if you don't want to. Your mom just went on and on about some horrible thing that happened to you and I got curious but. No need to panic."

Blaine feels grateful for the out. He wants to be able to talk about it but it's not that easy. There's a blockage in his throat whenever the topic comes up, preventing him from saying anything without wanting to break down. His parents -- with all their misguided schemes -- try to help but the anxiety when faced with the subject is too much.

And still, he thinks talking about it would help so much more than anything they suggest, but Kurt is the first one to offer, without even knowing what happened. He just looks genuine when Blaine glances back at him, and this just leads to Blaine seriously considering it.

"Do you want to go see a movie?" Kurt surprises him by asking, but Blaine can't say no.

\--

His parents wouldn’t dare object to them going out to a movie, even though Burt does raise a questioning eyebrow their way. They discuss what they want to see on the way, though Blaine doesn’t care and barely contributing to the conversation as he watches Kurt drive.

“I was bullied in high school, you know,” Kurt admits when they get to the Lima movie theater. “I know how malicious it can get.”

Blaine nods, following Kurt through the parking lot, “I know. Burt said. That’s why you joined the Navy, right?”

“It’s not, but it’s a pretty important part of it. I joined because it’s the easiest way to make a difference in the world. But anyways,” they’re standing in line, waiting to buy their tickets to a movie Kurt had decided on after many inquiries to make sure Blaine didn’t disagree, “you can talk to me. I won’t judge or make you feel stupid, I promise.”

“I’m gay,” Blaine blurts out, if only to see Kurt’s reaction.

Of which there is none, only a small quirk of Kurt’s lips. “Welcome to the club.”

Blaine nods and wonders when this man will stop throwing him for loops.

\--

The movie they see is good, but Kurt’s commentary throughout it is even better. He has thoughts about the plot and the leads, sometimes scathing remarks about what they’ve chosen to wear and sometimes scathing remarks about how they’ll never see two guys in such casual roles. It’s romantic comedy, one Kurt had insisted on, claiming he was surrounded by too much violence as it is and that he couldn’t handle scary movies. Blaine had not protested.

Kurt tells him he jumps out of his seat everytime something alarming pops on screen in thrillers, and Blaine laughs, not even embarrassed to be so genuine in front of someone. Kurt is  _funny_ , drawing more laughs out of Blaine in the couple of hours they’ve known each other than, what Blaine feels, his entire life.

Kurt sighs and aws throughout the movie, despite any critical comments he makes, and Blaine finds himself boldly reaching over and taking Kurt’s hand halfway through, at the climax when the lead has her standard breakdown. Kurt had startled and looked down before laughing and glancing at Blaine out of the side of his eye, murmuring, “Cute.”

But he doesn’t remove his hand. That’s better than what Blaine was hoping for.

Blaine thinks about what Kurt told him about being bullied, sometimes drifting off during the movie and on their way back, his offer to talk to him and his promise of no judgement. It’s a thousand times more than what his parents have offered him so far, but Blaine can’t help but wonder. He knows Kurt said he was bullied but in the end they’re much different people, probably, why would Kurt care at all?

He asks Kurt so when they pull up to his drive, turning towards him as he parks, “Why do you care?”

And Kurt automatically knows what he’s talking about, so neither of them get out of Kurt’s car just yet. “Maybe it’s ‘cuz you’re cute.” Kurt smiles at him, laughing when the compliment causes Blaine to drop his head bashfully. “But also because I know how it feels to have no one listen.”

“And I know the fear of opening up to someone and possibly having them minimize everything you feel. Can I at least give you my number?”

Blaine silently nods, and hands him his phone, watching his house and contemplating all the things he feels. He can see the lights still on despite the two hour movie they’d seen. Kurt interests him way beyond the SEAL status. Blaine’s so tired of hiding his pain, of coping with it on his own. His parents try but nothing’s really helped so far.

All these things Kurt has made him consider and re-consider, and they’ve known each other but six hours. And still, he feels brave with Kurt.

They both get out and walk to the door, but his courage his launched itself full speed into his muscles and that’s why he kisses Kurt, standing in the dark of his front steps with his parents just on the other side. 

Kurt responds in kind, kissing him with lazy passion, his fervor not nearly as much as Blaine’s and slowing the eager kiss down into something softer, something sweeter. Blaine opens his mouth and moans, the courage turning into adrenaline at the fact that he’s kissing a man he’s just met in the very city that belittles him for even thinking about doing such a thing.

His hands go around Kurt’s back, holding him close when they pull away, and he tilts his head onto Kurt’s shoulder as they hug and rock on his front steps. The first thing he can think to say  is, “So does this mean I can call you tomorrow, for possibly non therapy related stuff?”

Kurt laughs against his temple, sending Blaine’s heart tumbling when he thinks about how he made Kurt laugh like that and even more so when he goes, “I’ll do you one better. Coffee tomorrow?”

Exciting, is what it is. Exactly what Blaine needs at the time, is what it is. Forever, is what they make it.


End file.
